1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to fire fighting apparatus, methods, apparatus and compositions and, more particularly, to methods, apparatus and compositions for fighting fires or explosions where the fuel for the fire or explosion is, at least initially, closely confined such as fires in kitchens involving cooking oils, fats and other combustible food materials or household appliances and furnishings.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous fires occur annually which involve the preparation of food or other operations on materials which are combustible at temperatures which can be easily reached during such operations. Cooking oils and fats are a common source of such fires since they may become self-igniting at temperatures below that of the sources of heat closely adjacent thereto during food preparation. Fires in cooking utensils are particularly dangerous and potentially destructive since they can be easily spread by the application of water or other relatively reflexive but generally ill-considered initial efforts to fight such fires and often result in the ignition of clothing of the person initially attempting to extinguish the fire. Such fires, particularly in non-commercial kitchens usually cause unusually expensive damage due to the proximity to expensive cooking appliances, cabinetry, and building structures and expensive finished surfaces.
Numerous inventions have been made for fire extinguishing apparatus and compositions and several articles have been published in regard to fighting such fires and application of extinguishants thereto as summarized in the above-incorporated U.S. Provisional Patent Applications. Nevertheless, such approaches to fighting fires as are disclosed therein have not proven particularly effective for fire of this and similar types.